Carrier structure



Oct? 15, 1946 j c. c. SMITH ET'AL 2,409,518

CARRIER STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I i I I 11' v 1.2 as

a *1 L 5 w .4 TTOPNEY Oct. 15 1946. c. c. SMITH ET AL 7 2,409,518

CARRIER STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

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A TTGRNE Y Patented Oct. 15, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARRIER STRUCTURE Application December 5, 1942, Serial No. 468,014

2 Claims. (Cl. 68-489) This invention relates to carrier structures, particularly for use in dyeing and purifying machines.

The term carrier in the present instance relates to a hollow structure for supporting groups of spools or cops of strand material on perforated tubular elements and to receive fluids, such as dyes or purifying materials, under sufiicient pressure for the forcing of such materials through the closely wound convolutions of the strands in each cop. In this instance a problem has been presented, to provide a carrier which is suiiicient- 1y light in weight to permit transportation thereof into and out of a casing with a supply of cops and yet have sufficient strength to withstand the high pressures of the dyeing and purifying materials.

An object of the invention is to provide a carrier particularly adapted for use in dyeing and purifying cop-wound strand material.

With these and other objects in view, the disclosure relates to a carrier and the method of forming the same including the mounting. of perforated tubes upon a supporting plate, the mounting of a U-shaped sector to the opposite surface of the plate, and the subsequent mounting of angular sectors on the plate beginning at one side of the U-shaped sector and continuing in a circular path to a point spaced from the opposite side of the U-shaped sector, and completing the structure with a flat plate.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine 11- lustrating the invention, portions thereof being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the carrier, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the carrier taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional View taken substantially along the arcuate line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the elements for supporting the cops, and

Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of the fluid circuit including the machine.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. 1, which illustrates a casing or drum I0 provided with a cover II adapted to close the casing and make it fluid-tight through the aid of clamps I2. The lower portion of the casing I0, indicated at I4, has passageways I5 and I6 communicating therewith, which in the present instance will respectively be termed an inlet and an outlet for the casing. Brackets I!) serve to support a centering element I9 above the inlet I 5 without closing the inlet. A rod 20, threaded at both ends, has one end threadedly connected to the element I9, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the other end being provided with a nut 2|, the use of which will hereinafter be described. An annular support 22 is disposed concentric with the inlet I5 for supporting a sealing ring 23.

The carrier is indicated generally at 25 and is illustrated more in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The carrier has a circular supporting plate 26 with an outer periphery slightly smaller than the inner periphery of the casing Ill, to allow space between the carrier and the casing for the passing of a dyeing or purifying fluid. A centering element 21 is mounted in the central aperture of the supporting plate 26 and has a conical central aperture 23 adapted to receive a conical end 29 of the element I9. Through this means, as hereinafter described, the carrier may be readily centered in the casing. At this point it may be explained that a tubular member 30 may, in assembly, be disposed over the rod 20 and have its lower end secured in a recess 3| of the element 2i, its upper end being positioned to be engaged by the nut 2| and, through this means, force the carrier into a sealing position against the sealing ring 23.

Continuing with the structure of the carrier, it should be understood that circular rows of threaded apertures 33 are provided in the supporting plate 26, to receive connections 34 shown in detail in Fig. 5. The connections 34 are threadedly disposed in the apertures 33 and have supporting elements 35, in the form of tubes, disposed therein and supported thereby. The elements 35 each have a multiplicity of apertures 36 therein which serve as fluid passageways.

At this time attention is directed to the annular recess 31 in the upper surface of the connections 34 shown in Fig. 5. The purpose of this recess is to receive a cop-tube 38 and form a sealing connection therewith, the cop-tube being apertured as at 39 and supporting a cop 40 of strand material. In the present illustration four cops 40 are mounted upon each element 35 and are spaced from each other by connecting members 4I which have double ends similar in structure to the single upper end of the connection 34 (Fig. 5), having recesses similar to the recess 31 in each end to form sealing connections with the cop-tubes 38 of their respective cops 40. The upper ends of the elements 35 may be closed by nuts 43, which serve also to apply downward pressure upon the cop-tubes 38, the connecting members 4| and the connection 34, so as to complete a structure sealed against the passage of fluid, from the passageways 35 of the elements, other than through the apertures 39 in the various cop-tubes and through the cops 40.

Although the invention lies mainly in the carrier 25, these other features including the cops 40 and their associated supporting means are included in order that a clear understanding of the invention may be had.

Returning again to the carrier, radial ribs of predetermined lengths, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and bearing reference numerals 45, are secured to the under surface of the supporting plate 23 by suitable means such as welding. A U-shaped sector 55 is centrally disposed over one of the rib 45, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and has its legs 4'! and 43 secured to the under surface of the supporting plate 25 by suitable means such as welding. The legs 41 and 48, as will be observed by viewing Fig. 2, extend radially from the center of the plate 25. The welded portions, indicated at 49, are therefore at the outer surfaces of the legs ll and 88. After this has been accomplished a plurality of angular or L-shaped sectors is successively mounted upon the supporting plate. These L-shaped sectors are similar in contour to the U-shaped sector 46 with the exception of one leg, the existing leg in each L-shaped sector extending radially toward the center of the supporting plate. For example, a sector 55, one of the L-shaped sectors, is disposed in position adjacent the leg 41, and has its abutting edge welded to the sector 46 as at 52. The leg of the sector 50 is welded to the plate as at 53. When the sector 50 has been mounted, it will be apparent that the leg thereof is positioned midway between two of the reinforcing ribs 45, as shown in Fig. 4. In a similar manner successive sectors 54 are mounted, their abutting edges being welded to the preceding sector as at 55, while their legs, which extend radially toward the center of the plate are welded, as at 56, to the supporting plate. These steps are continued until a final sector 58 is secured in place, leaving a portion, as at 59, between the sector 58 and the U-shaped sector 46. This portion is completed by a flat sector 60 having its radial edges respectively secured to the sector 58 and the U-shaped sector 55 by welds BI and B2. In this manner the ribs 45 which reenforce the supporting plate 26 at the widest portions of the L-shaped sectors and they U-shaped sector, are first mounted in their positions, as these ribs will subsequently be surrounded by the sectors upon one side and the supporting plate on the other.

The use of the U-shaped sector 46, as a first sector for assembly, is important in view of the fact that it has supporting legs for both radial edges. As a result of the successive-subsequent mounting of the angular or L-shaped sectors, additional radial legs are provided which serve not only as reenforcing means for the supporting plate but as reenforcing means for the lower portion of the carrier constituting the pie-shaped portions of the sectors which are integral with their respective legs excepting the final sector or plate 60, which receives its support from the leg 48 of the sector 46 and the leg of the sector 58.

The outer ends of the sectors, and it may be said the carrier, are closed by an annular member 65 disposed in place and welded, as at 65, to the supporting plate 26 and at 61 to the various 4 sectors. The inner ends of the sectors are cut away as at 69, where an annular sealing ring is mounted and welded to the adjacent surfaces of the sectors as at H.

This completes the carrier structure, the sealing ring 10 being positioned to rest upon the sealing ring 23 in the support 22, to form a sealed 1 connection between the carrier and the inlet I5.

To further illustrate the invention, a schematic illustration of the fluid control means is shown in Fig. 6. Here the inlet [5 and the outlet l6 are shown connected to a valve 15 and, through the valve, a supply line It is connected to the inlet I5 and a return line H is connected to the outlet IB. A fluid pump 18 is connected between lines it and Ti, to cause circulation of a fluid such as a dye or purifying material, the main supply of which may be disposed in a tank 19 and supplied to the circuit through a valve 80.

Upon considering the operation of the apparatus, attention is first directed to apertures in diametrically opposed lugs integral with the tubular member 33,,Which may receive hooks or other means employed to assist in lowering the carrier and the stacks of cops into the casing l0. During this step the tubular member is lowered over the rod 20 and the carrier is centered in the casing through the association of the conical aperture 28 of the element 2'! with the conical end 29 of the element l9. The carrier is secured in position through the nut 2| on the rod 20, forming a seal at the members 10 and 23, after which the cover ll may be disposed in place and sealed through the aid of clamps. At this time th material, having been previously prepared and disposed in the tank 79, may be caused to circulate in the system illustrated in Fig. 6 through the aid of the pump 18. The pump 18, when driven, will force the material through the line F6, valve 15, through inlet l5, and into the various sectors of the carrier 25. The pressure of the material entering the carrier must be sufficiently great to force the material through the connections 34 at the apertures 33 into the associated elements 35 thereof through the apertures 35 and 39, and through the bodies of strand materials of the cops 40. In one instance the strand materials are to be uniformly dyed, and to accomplish this result it is apparent that the fluid must pass through all parts of the cops, which consist of solid bodies of closely wound strands. The pressure usually required for accomplishing this result is between thirty and forty pounds. Therefore, the carrier has been formed so as to Withstand this pressure and has been made sufficiently light in weight so as to be-readily transported.

After the material passes through the cops, it drains out of the cops over and around the carrier 25 and passes out of the casing through the outlet it. By viewing Fig. 6, it will be observed that the material, in passing through the oulet I6, returns to the valve '15 and passes through line TI to the pump 18.

Although specific improvements of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for use in carrying articles into and out of a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet together with a central support, the carrier comprising a circular supporting plate, a

centering element mounted at the center of the supporting plate and adapted to cooperate with the central support to center the carrier in the casing, a U-shaped sector secured to the said surface and having legs extending radially from the said center, angular sectors successively secured to the said surface and having legs extending radially from the said center, a flat sector secured between the U-shaped sector and. the last angular sector to complete a circular arrangement of hollow sectors, means to close the outer ends of the sectors, and means to provide communication between the hollow sectors and the inlet.

2. A carrier for use in carrying articles into and out of a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet together with a central support, the carrier comprising a circular supporting plate having fluid passageways therein communicating with the articles, a centering element mounted at the center of the supporting plate and adapted to cooperate with the central support to center the carrier in the casing, a U-shaped sector secured to the said surface and having legs extending radially from the said center, angular sectors successively secured to the said surface and having legs extending radially from the said center, a, fiat sector secured between the U- shaped sector and the last angular sector to complete a circular arrangement of hollow sectors, means to close the outer ends of the sectors, and means to provide communication between the hollow sectors and the inlet.

CHARLES C. SMITH. DANIEL V. WATERS. 

